In the WEF panel «The Saudi Economy Under Scrutiny», Faisal F. Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning, emphasised how the profound structural reforms under Vision 2030 have sustainably transformed the country’s economic foundations. Stability has become a central competitive advantage for Saudi Arabia. The government’s Vision 2030 plan aims to transform the oil state into a diversified economy based on trade, manufacturing, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, high-tech, tourism, and education.

«Stability is not something you can buy – you have to build it,» said Alibrahim. Disciplined economic policies have created a predictable environment in which companies can plan long term. As evidence, he pointed to the development of foreign direct investment (FDI): while global FDI inflows declined by 11 percent in 2024, they rose by 24 percent in the Kingdom—a sign of «growing confidence and the quality of investments», according to the minister.

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The charm offensive in Davos is apparently an attempt to put the oil state back in a better light among the crème de la crème of global economic leaders. Independent media and industry reports last year had indicated that the originally ambitious goals for The Line—a roughly 170-kilometre linear city designed to house millions of people—are no longer considered realistic as short-term targets. Instead, smaller incremental steps and reduced actual construction activity have been noted. Reports mention that only a very short section (around 2.4 kilometres) is realistically expected to be built by 2030 and that the original population estimates have been significantly revised downward.

The Line is part of the mega-project NEOM (an acronym combining «Neo» for new and «Mustaqbal,» the Arabic word for future). NEOM, located in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea, is planned to be built for around 500 billion US dollars, covers about half the size of Belgium, and is envisioned as a metropolis of the future.

These reports unsettled investors on both sides, causing the TASI benchmark index to lose 13 percent in the full year 2025. This made the Tadawul stock exchange the laggard among Gulf stock markets. By comparison, the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) gained 17.2 percent in 2025, and Oman’s MSM index even rose by 28.2 percent. One day after Davos, it was announced that the planned 2029 Asian Winter Games will not take place. A new date will be communicated «in due course.»

Stock exchange and real estate market now open for foreigners

Like Dubai, KSA now wants to play the card of its strategic position between Europe and Asia. In the WEF session «Many Shapes of Trade,» Majid A. Alkassabi, the Kingdom’s Minister of Trade, explained how the reorganisation of global supply chains opens new opportunities for the country. Additionally, the Tadawul bourse will be open to all foreign investors starting February 1, 2026. In certain areas of the Gulf state, especially in the capital Riyadh and in Jeddah, foreigners have also been allowed to purchase real estate since January 1.

The IMF recently raised its growth forecast for Saudi Arabia, particularly to 4.5 percent for 2026 (up from 4 percent in October), supported by higher oil production, strong domestic demand, and the aforementioned economic reforms.

«Trade is evolving from fair to a more managed and rules-based model,» said Alkassabi. Thanks to its strategic location and resources, Saudi Arabia can become a «Connector Economy»—a bridging economy between Africa, Europe, and Asia, aiming to position itself as a logistics, trade, and industrial hub. To this end, the House of Saud is steadily expanding the ports in Dammam on the Arabian Gulf and Jeddah on the Red Sea. Moreover, the King Salman International Airport under construction in Riyadh is expected to become the world’s largest hub for civil aviation, with 185 million passengers by 2050.

The Saudis are receiving a boost in their plans to act as a hub between continents from the WEF. Saudi Arabia will host the WEF Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting in Jeddah on April 22 and 23, 2026, as announced on the closing day of the WEF in Davos.